Might be the start of something...how painful should it be before hospital dash?!

[Laquila]

Morning all,

I'm 40+6 and Have been up since about 3.45ish with what I think are mild contractions. I say mild - they're very uncomfortable but I wouldn't actually call them painful, but they do seem to be only about 6 mins apart.

I thought I had Braxton Hicks a couple of nights ago, but those felt like strong and quite uncomfortable tightenings across the top of my bump, whereas these feel much lower in my bump. I also feel pressure in my bottom (like needing to go but not being able to) but not super strong.

I'd think that maybe these were just Braxton Hicks but they do feel like they're in a different place to the ones the other night. I'm hypnobirthing, so have done a lot of work at feeling quite calm and in control, but even so - if these are real contractions and are only 6ish mins apart, shouldn't they be more painful?!

We live a good 35 mins from the hospital so am wary of going in too early.

N.b. I haven't noticed that I've lost my plug/had a show, or that my waters have broken, but I did feel yesterday as though maybe the baby was starting to fully engage - felt let of heavier further down my abdomen.

Any advice or thoughts gratefully received!

[chickensaladagain]

I would ring the ward and ask to go in for assessment

The last thing you want is to get stuck in rush hour

I don't remember losing my plug and my waters didn't break with number 2 so go with the regular contractions being a sign

Good luck

[DoudousDoor]

Not necessarily more painful. My contractions were 3 mins apart and uncomfortable but tolerable. They stayed 3 mins apart but definitely got more painful and that was when I went in.

No real advice Im afraid but I think they should be 5 mins apart before going in?

Good luck!

[WantedGSOH]

Ooh exciting!
I agree with chickensalad... If you're 35 mins from hospital its worth calling them to double check.

FWIW I was induced & after 24 hours of waiting it started to happen but when I asked young bolshy midwife if I was having contractions she said no just 'induction twinges'
Anyway, 10 mins later they checked after I used an iphone contraction counter app as proof (3mins apart) & insisted on speaking to another midwife & I was 5 cm dilated

She believed me then!!!

So it can be quite hard to tell what a contraction is if you've never had one.

[Laquila]

Thanks very much all! I'm in the bath now, which is helping me feel more comfortable but does perhaps seem to have slowed things down.

If it's not a daft question, did you guys feel any different when you started to dilate?

[WantedGSOH]

In fact reading your post reminded me that the evil midwife told me that they couldn't possibly be contractions because they weren't on the top of my bump. I'd described something much lower, almost like period type cramping, which sounds like you. I think people's contractions differ in sensation.

Wishing you loads of luck & joy meeting your little one.. At some point even if this isn't your day yet!

[SweepTheHalls]

Nope, no different at all stay at home until you don't feel you can anymore, have a walk, take paracetamol. You are likely to progress better at home than in hospital( assuming you are low risk). Good luck!

[ImFineThankYou]

My contractions were coming every 2.5 minutes and lasting for 50 seconds and I was at the point where I couldn't speak through them (couldn't stand sit lay down either!) but when I got to hospital I was only 1cm
That's the thing, everyone's so different but I'd ring and ask.
Good luck.

[Mumof3xx]

When I was in labour (5 months ago) and thought a bath would help it did not! It seemed to speed things up! I had to get out because I was in agony.

Saying that it was a fairly quick labour first pain at 8.30 hospital at 11, baby at 1.30

I live 20 mins from hospital and they still had me wait til contractions were 4 mins apart before I set off I did at one point worry when sat in traffic that we might not get there in time

[WantedGSOH]

I think its just that they got more painful as time went on.

I'm abit of you being at home in the bath, as I was on a horrible ward with really unfriendly midwife (I may have mentioned her?!!) & surrounded by texting, bored 16 year olds having their BP measured at 20 weeks etc. So I spent the whole time trying not to scare the bejesus out of them & muffling my cries. That's fine at the beginning but pretty bloody hard at 5cm!

Eat chocolate, read in the bath & make most of it. Sounds wierd I know!

[Mumof3xx]

Oh and I got to the hospital at 7cm!

Third baby though!

[Laquila]

Thanks very much all - to be honest, the most comforting thing to kow, in a way, is that everyone's experiences were so different!

I called the hospital and they said to come in for assessment if I wanted, but it was up to me. At the mo I feel OK so going to just sit it up and see what happens. Contractions currently about 5 mins apart and lasting 35ish seconds.

Well keep you updated!

Wanted I'm sorry to hear of that mean midwife... - what's the point of going into midwifery if You dn't want to be nice to women having babies?!

[Mumof3xx]

Good luck op

[Laquila]

Thanks mumof!

Intervals beteen surges had slowed down a bit, although the surges themselves were hitting the 50-60second mark. I think they're getting closer together again now, can't work out whether the TENS machine is a help or a hindrance but at least it's a distraction! As is my terrible indigestion and the fact that I can't stop my teeth chattering even though I'm wearing flannel pjs and clutching a hot water bottle. Happy days!

[adagio]

Good Luck you sound like you are doing brilliantly :-)

For the at-home bit I seem to recall holding the towel rail /radiator in the bathroom and doing circles with my hips (with tens machine on) along with ahem an upset tummy (hence in the bathroom?) and I was sick in the bathroom bin. Delightful!

As with you, I would describe the surges as more like bad period pain low down - and not as bad as I was expecting - I was 6+ cm when I got to hospital

Keep up the good work
xx

[chickensaladagain]

Teeth chattering?

It's getting close!

[Laquila]

Thanks for your encouragement, adagio!

chicken, is that a sign?! I thought I was just being extra mard!

[chickensaladagain]

Any news op?

And yes teeth chattering can happen ??

[princesscupcakemummyb]

how did it go op ?

[Shellywelly1973]

Come back op!!

[TheCountessOlenska]

Oooh read this on tuesday, just remembered! Hope you're ok OP!

[Laquila]

Hello all, I'm so sorry to have so long to report back! I have been a little out of it...

We had an absolutely perfect baby boy, delivered by ECMS on Thurs night after a loooong and difficult labour. It all seems like a faraway haze now, as I deal with the pain of sore and bleeding nipples, and expressing!

[Laquila]

Sorry - hadn't finished!

I went in to hospital that night but the contractions got slightly shorter and further apart overnight - by the next day I hadn't really progressed and he was still back to back. They let me stay, though, as I felt much safe and more comfortable in the hospital, and was also in a LOT of pain, and unable to sleep or lie down, from a water infection that was giving me horrible back pain, I think that was worse than contractions!

I had a shot of pethidine on Weds night, once they'd diagnosed the water infection, which helped me sleep a little.

On Thurs they transferred me to labour ward and I spent all morning in there on a birthing ball (still being monitored on CTG) and eventually they did an ARM and found meconium, so told me I couldn't have a water birth, which was demoralising. I agreed to a syntocinon drip (took 4 of them 5 attempts to insert the cannula - I now have arms like a meth addict) and they said they'd check progress in 4 hrs. (I was using gas and air by this point.)

After 2 hrs though they were worrying a bit abut the CTG results for the baby, so tried to take blood samples rom his head it it wasn't far down enough and I was still only 4cm dilated! At that point (late at night) the doctor advised EMCS as I was utterly exhausted after about more than two days, and she was worried about the baby. I cried but was relieved, in a way, to at least know what was going to happen! After we agreed on that, it felt like it was only about 20 mins before he squelched out, crying but very alert and utterly beautiful. They tidied me up and that was that!

The numbness from the caesarean anaesthesia wore off the next day and I was up and about and showering. We stayed in til Sunday and came home that night. He's just absolutely and utterly perfect, but we've had a few wobbles b/feeding-wise! (I think we both cried as much as each other last night, trying to pump for 24hrs now to give nipples a rest, and feeding via cup at the mo although may have to use bottles tonight, as the cup wasn't v successful.)

So, to sum up on the labour - the hypnobirthing techniques we used were invauluable (all the staff on the unit were amazed I'd had a caesarean with no morphine). The gas and air was possibly more placebo than anything else, but I was glad I had it. Sitting on the birthing ball and staying mobile as much as possible thought labour definitely made me more comfortable and made the contractions easier. I have to say, whilst the contractions were damned uncomfortable at times, I think it was the back pain that made it much worse. Whilst we didn't go in hoping for a caesarean, it was a means to an end, and that end result is pretty amazing :)

Thanks everyone very much for all your help and advice.

[adagio]

Congratulations Laquila

You did amazingly. Now get some Lansinoh if you haven't already for your poor boobs, it really helps (and is far and away the best nipple cream out there, plus you don't have to wipe/wash off before each feed). Send DH to 24 hour shop in search of it of needs be.

Well Done

[Laquila]

Bless you Adagio, thank you!

I've been using Lansinoh since we started b/feeding on Friday - it's definitely helping but I think there's another problem, although all the midwifery team on the unit said his positioning was perfect etc and that the latch-on looked great. That wasn't much of a comfort to me at 0300 yesterday morning with bleeding nipples, I can tell you!

We've tried giving him EBM via a feeding cup today but without much success so are now using a bottle, in desperation, despite being terrified it'll make it harder to b/feed again. Having said that, at the moment I can't see what's going to be different when I try to b/feed again after my nipples have had this respite, so maybe bottle-feeding EBM will be the only option anyway. I really hope not.

Hey ho, I have a long night ahead of me with ths breast pump, so had better crack on ;)

Thanks again

[tuckingfits]

Congratulations! I just wanted to give you my 2p worth of breastfeeding advice - I had horrible issues with my son,I persevered with cracked & bleeding nipples for weeks making myself miserable. I then expressed for a couple of weeks & then shifted to using mam nipple shields. I couldn't wean him off those,but to be honest I wasn't too concerned about that because I was more concerned about te state of my poor boobs! We fed for 9.5 months,using nipple shields from about 5 weeks in,so it doesn't necessarily affect supply (as much of what you'll read will tell you).

I think it's just more important that you are both happy. I wish I hadn't flogged myself so hard about breastfeeding - I was slapping myself in the face to try & distract myself from the nipple agony.

I am pregnant again & have just finished a hypnobirthing course,doing lots of practice. Wanted to say how amazed I was that you had a c section without morphine. I had to re-read it! DS was born via EMCS too. Couldn't have done it without the epidural... Can't imagine having one without morphine in future.

It was very interesting to read your account of hypnobirthing surges! I do hope I cope as well as you sound like you did.

Congratulations again on your dear little boy. Take care.xx